Handle-attaching means for door latches



May 29, 1928.

M. C. LYDDANE HANDLE ATTACHING MEANS FOR DOOR LA''GHES Filed July 28t 1926 Patented May i29, 1928.

' UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

MOBTIMEB C. LYDDANE, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TOLEON OTTINGER, OF

f NEW YORK, N. Y. A

HANDLE-ATTACHING MEANS F013. DOOR LATCHES.

' application mea July 2s,

means whereby the latch handle shaft as Y it is inserted into the bore of the rollback, will Vautomatically be rigidly locked against either rotative or axial movement relative to the rollback so that said shaft and the rollback in effect will operate as a one piece unit. y

The present invention is more or less closely identified with devices of the 'general construction shown and described in a co-pending application ,for patent filed by Leon Ottin'ger, Serial No. 122,762, on July 16, 1926, wherein the end ofthe handle shaft is longitudinally split and is adapted to be expanded within the rollback bore. It 1s one of the prominent features of the invention to provide a relatively simple means arranged in fixed relation to the inner end of the rollback and with which suitably formed means on the extremity of said split end of..

. the handle shaft is adapted to coact to there by automaticallv spread or expand said shaft end as it is inserted into the rollback bore and effect a tight frictional binding engagement of the shaft parts against the opposite walls of said bore.

c The invention further contemplates the provision of expanding means for the Ishaft end of novel form and simple construction which may be readily associated or assembled in connection with the end of the rollback without necessitating any radical structural vchanges in the latter, from the usual form of rollback used in such latches, and in one embodiment of my invention, I provide a shaft expanding means which may be readily disconnected or detached from the rollback when it is necessary to remove the handle shaft, and without first detaching or removing the upholstery upon the inner4 side of the door.

It is also an additional object of my invention to provide such means for automatically lockin the shaft en'd in connection with the `ro and arranged, that the shaft end will not lback which is so constructed- 1928'. Serial No. 125,342.

project from the inner end of the rollback d'eyond the plane of the inner face of the oor.

IVith the above and other objects in view, vthe invention consists in the improved handle attaching means for door latches and. in the form, construction and relative arrangement of its several parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustratedv in the accompanying drawin s, and subsequently incorporated in y tie subjoined claims.

In'the drawings, wherein I have shown several simple and practical embodiments of the invention, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,-

Figure 1 is a horizontal section of a portion of an automobile door illustrating one embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail horizontal section showing the split end of the handle shaft inserted in the rollback bore prior to the expansion of said shaft;

Fig.V 3 is a similar view showing the split end of the shaft expanded` and locked in y connection with thel rollback;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged end elevation, a

conventional means being shown in dotted lines for the purpose of detaching the shaft expanding means from thel rollback;

, Fig. 5 is a horizontal section similar to Fig. 3 showing aA modified form of the device; Fig. 6 is an end elevation of. said modification, the rollback being partly shown in section;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section showing another alternative form of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the Aexpanding member shown in Fig. 7, and

Fig. 9 is a detail plan view of the expansible shaft end shown in Fig. 5 illus` trating the normal condition thereof.

The latch construction which I have partially illustrated in the accompanying drawings constitutes no essential feature of the present invention, and it will be` clearly understood as this description proceeds that the subject matter .of this application is capable of adaptation and use in connection with many dilerenttypes of door latches now known in the art and the essential features thereof are also applicable to other lli lOl

analogous uses. In all cases where means for quickly` efectlng in a positive manner a rigid locking conection between two coopverating parts and which, when necessary, will enable the separation of said parts to be readily effected, may be found of material advantage, the invention to be presently v described is easily adapted. However, Vsince the device is articularly designed for the Vpurpose of e ecting a quick and reliable operating connection between the handle Shaft and the rollback of a door latch such as is used on automobile doors, I have selected this application of the invention for illustrative purposes, Accordingly, in the accompanying drawings, a portion of an automobile door 5 is shown. The inner face of this door is mortised in the usual manner to receive the latch casing 6 within which the latch bolt and the projecting and l retracting mechanism therefor are mounted.

The latch bolt retracting means includes the customary rollback 7 which is journalled.

my invention, I 'have shown the bore through the rollback as of rectangular form. Preferably, the opposite ends of the rollback 7 are iiush with the outer surfaces of the inner and outer walls respectively of the case 6.

.The door` structure 5 has a transversely extendin handle Vshaft receivin opening 9 bored t erethrou h 'substantie ly in hne with-'the rollback Y this opening a suitable handle shaft bearing an'd in the outer end of 10 is secured, said bearing however, constituting no essential`feature of the present iml provements. v

The handle shaft includes a cylindrical portion llsupported in the-bearing 10 anda tween 'theinner op i o ftheslmfta for healed as indicat divergent-relation toeach split reduced portlon 12 -of the same cross sectional form as the. bore'8 of the rollback 7.

The end 'of this vreduced portion1-2 of theA handle shaft is longitudinally splitcentrally thereof as at '13, the lengt ofsaid split somewhat exceeding the length of the rolL back bore. Thus, there is provided upon said end of the handle Ashaft the-two sepa. rablebr laterally q The inherent resiliency of the metal mam expansible portions 14.

tains a normal close contacta ng relation be- Th faces of thesethshaft e sal oppoeed'faees at e exhowever, chamfered at 15 tn 'extend in portions.

l ings. for the lpanding mem rs and detaching the same Y repainting the door. Y easily inserted between the edge of the upend of the shaft is so formed relative to the inner portion of theshaft section 12 that the outer side faces 16 of the portions 13 extend loongitudinally in slightlyconvergent relation towards the inner faces thereof in 4the normal 'condition of said shaft end.

From these outer faces 16 at the extremity ofeach shaft portion 14 lips 17 laterally project. These lips however, do not normally project beyond the extended planes of the opposlte 'side faces of the inner part of the shaft section 12. Thus, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, they may readily .pass through the bore of the rollback.

At the inner end of the bore8 of the rollback, opposite side walls thereof are pro' vided with shallow recesses or seats 18, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained. Through the hub extension 19 on this inner end of the rollback which is mounted in the casing wall or plate, the cylindrical openings 20 are drilled, y said openings being in diametrically opposed relation and communicating with the end of.

the lrollback bore substantially midway between the vrecesses or seats 18.

-Two expanding elements 21 each of which is of substantiall triangular cross sectional form, are detac iably connected with thel inner endf of the rollback. For this purpose, I provide each of` the expanding ele-. ments wlt-h a cylindrical longitudinally extending stud 22 at one of its ends which is adapted to be frictionally fitted in the inner end of one of the openin 20. Thus, the triangular shaped expandlng members are retained in spaced relation to each other within the inner end ofthe rollback bore. When so ap lied, one of the side faces of each of sai members isf positioned inA a plane parallel with the end face of the rollback and is provided with a suitably formed 'socket' 23 therein. These sockets are 'adapted to receive suitable pins or studs lon the ends o f crossed pivotally connected levers indicated at 24 in Fig. 4 of the drawurpose of removing said exfrom the rollback `when it becomes necessary to remove `the haldle shaft,'as 'for instance in These levers can be' holster'y on the 'inner face ofthe door indicated at 25 and the wall of the .latch caseso that it becomes unnecessary 'to detach or. remove the upholstery in order to discon# neet the shaft en d from the rollback.

From the above description of this` embodiment of my i-nvention, it willY be lseen that the changes required 'in the rollback construction are of a very simple character and the rollback may -be' readily provided with the two expan members 21 by the l'atchmanufacturer without materially' increasmgthe manufacturing cost or the selling price of^ the latch vto the automobile manufacture-r. The latter may readily procure the handle shafts of the construction l above described, and after the latch has been back. As the split end ofthe 'shaft 13 is inserted through the rollback bore and approaches the expanding members 21, the apex edges of these members engage between the divergent faces 15 'on the shaft portions 14 and co-acting with opposite side faces of said expanding member, as axial pressure is applied against the shaft, said shaft portions 14 are expanded or spread laterally in opposite directions until' the lips 17 snap into the seatsfor recesses 18 and the side faces 16 of said shaft portions are urged into binding frictional contact against the opposite side walls of the bore 8 of the rollback. In this manner, there is automatically produced afrigid locking connect-ion between the shaft end and the rollback which effectively prevents turning or rotative movement of theshaft end in the rollback bore or the axial displacement of said shaft end in either direction relative to the rollback. Thus, the members 21 resist any externally applied pressure against the handle tending to force the shaft inwardly through the rollback while the lips 17 engaging the shoulders formed by recesses 18 effectively prevent axial movement of the shaft in the opposite direction and its detachment from the rollback by an outward pull' exerted on the handle. All lost motion between 'the handle shaft and the rollback in the actuation of the lobkis thus obviated and any metallic noise incident to looseness of the shaft end Vin the rollba/ekbore is precluded.v In other words, the `tvvo parts operate substantially as a single unit.

. wall of the latch ca'se by the screws 27. It

would, of course, first be necessary to partly detach the upholstery 25 to remove the plate 26 so that the expanding member 21 couldv be driven out by means of a suitable punch. In this embodimentl of the invention, the split end of the shaft is normally in the condition shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings, the

inner opposed faces of the. shaft portions 14 extending in spaced divergent relation Vto each other from the inner end of the split. The extremities of these shaft portions have a slight lateral angular offset as indicated at 28 so that the outer side faces thereof are obliquely inclined in an outward direction. 1

The inner sides of these angular extremities of the shaft portions are provided with inwardly projecting lips 29 which limit the inward movement of the shaft portions 14 towards each other, said lips having inclined or beveled end faces adapted to ride against the divergent side faces of theI expanding member 21. y

The opposite side walls of the rollback bore at'their inner ends are outwardly inclined or beveled as indicated at 3 Thus,

it will be understood that when the shaft end is inserted into the bore of the rollback, the lips 29 coacting with the divergent side faces of the member 21 spread or expand the shafty portions 14 laterallyso that 'the faces 30 of the rollback bore, while lthe lips 29 spring behind the member 21, thereby locking the shaft end against outward axial movement in -said bore. The angularly offset extremities 28 of the two portions 14 of the shaft are properly tempered so as to permit of the slight relative resiliency therein with respect to the remaining portions of the shaft parts 14 whereby the lips 2t) -may lock over the rear face of the member 21 without releasing the frictional binding pressure of said shaft parts against the Walls of the bore.

In Figs.. 7 and 8 of wherein the split end of the shaft is substaiitially of the same form as last described with the exception that the extremities thereof are not laterally offset, and instead of i providing the solid metal expanding mem-y ber 21, 1 provide the expanding member 21 of heavy gauge sheet metal. This met-al sheet is bent into triangular shaped form withthe Lthe drawing, I have `shown another alternative ofi the device,

lll)

longitudinal edges 2 thereof normally spaced apart. The ends of this member areA radapted to be engaged in triangular shaped openings'in the inner end of the rollback as in the construction last described. It will therefore, be apparent that when` the split end of the shaft is inserted through the bore of the rollback, the lips 29* on the extremities of the expansible portion ofthe shaft will coopera e' with the divergent walls' of the member 21l and as the frictlonal binding pressure of the outer faces ofsaid shaft portions against the walls of the rollback approaches the maximum, said divergent walls of the member 21 will yield suffi-v ciently so thact the lips 29:t will engage behind the inturned flanges at the rear edges of said walls as shown in Fig. 7, thereby locking the parts of 'the shaft end in expanded relation with each other., In this construction also, it is of course necessary to provide the separate bearing plate 26 for the'inner end of the rollback to permit of the withdrawl of the expanding member 21n without necessitating the complete removal of thelatch.

From the 'foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, the several illustrated embodiments of the device. will be clearly `understood. I t will be seen that I have provided means for automatically effecting a rigidly locked connection between the end of the operating shaft and the rollback, thereby eliminating the additional step or operation of inserting a screw, wedge or other element for the purpose of expanding the split end of the shaft after it has been inserted through the rollback bore. Thus, the equipment of arranging the same'in detachable fixed re-j the door latches by the automobile manufacturer with theoperating handles therefou will be appreciably expedited by means 'of my present invention. I haveA referred to several different forms of the shaft end expanding means and means for mounting or lation to the inner end of the rollback.

However, in these particulars various other mechanical means might be devised for accomplishing the same purpose, and as Il believe it to be new in this art to provide such means in lixed relation to the rollback which coacts with the shaft end to automatically produce a rigid locking connection with' the rollback in the act of inserting the shaft in the bore thereof, I do not desire to be -limited to the particular mechanical forms which I have herein referred to; Accordingly, it is to be understood that in practice I reservethe privilege of resorting to fall such legitimate changes in the form, construction and relative arrangement of the various parts as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. Incombination with a door latch provided with a rollback having a shaft receiving bore, an operating shaft adapted to Abe inserted in"sa1d bore, and means cooper- Y ating with the shaft end and automatically acting in the insertion of said shaft end into tle bore to lock the shaft in said bore against 'rotative or'axial movement relative to thel ed at one end of the rollback bore in fixed -vided with a rollback havin relation thereto and automatically cooperating with the shaft end as the latter is inserted into said bore to rigidly -lock the shaft end in 'said bore against rotative or axial movement relative to the rollback.

3. In combinationwith a door latch proing bore, an operating sha t adapted to be inserted in said bore, and means detachably` connected with one end of the rollback in fixed relation thereto and .extending diametrically of the rollback bore adapted to automatically coact with the shaft end asv operating shaft, and means mounted in fixe/d relation to the rollbackat the inner end of its bore adapted to automatically cooperate witlrthe shaft end as the latter is inserted into said bore and rigidly lock said shaft end a shaft receivtherein with its end face substantially flush with the inner end face of. the rollback.

5. In combination with a latch secured to the inner side of a door and provided'with a rollback having a shaftreceiving bore, an expanding member secured in fixed relation to the inner end of the rollback and extendl ing into the rollback bore, and an operating Vshaft having a longitudinally split end in` sertable into said rollback bore, and said ex-,

panding member adapted to automatically' cooperate with said split end ofthe shaft and expand the same into frictiona'l binding engagement with the walls of'said bore to prevent relative rotation between said shaft and the rollback. 1 i A 6. In combination with a latch secured to the inner side of a door provided vv vithva rollback having a shaft receiving bore, ain expanding member, the inner end of said rollback having a Vpart provided with means for the detachable connection of the expanding member with said part and said member projecting into the bore of the rollback, and an operating shafthaving a split end forinsertion in said bore and said memluc ber adapted to engage in the split of said bore 4andV thereby prevent relative rotation between the shaft and the, rollback. f

7. In combination with a latch secured to the inner side of a door provided with a rollback having a shaft receiving bore, 'an expanding member, the innerend of. said rollback having means for thev detachable connection-of the expanding member therewith and said member proJecting into the ,bore 'of the rollback, and an` operating shaft having'a split and said member adapted to engage in the split of'said shaft end in the insertion theresaid membei` also preventing axial movement of the shaft end through said bore in vone -diwith a rollback having ings and' projecting .relative rotation between rection, and the split parts of said shaft end being provided with means coacting with the rollback to prevent axial movement of the shaft-end in the opposite direction.

8. In combination with a' to the inner side of -a door and provided ashaft receiving bore, the inner end of said rollback having opposed diametrically extending openings therein, expandingl members having parts detachably engaged in the respective openinto said bore, said lbeing, of triangular formin cross section, and an operatin shaft having a lit end portion ada ted 01' in'- sertion in said bore, the inner ces of said split portions of the shaft end at their ex tremities being divergently beveled and adapted to coact with said expanding -members in the insertion ofsaid shaft end to thereby expand said split portion of the shaft expanding members end into frictonal binding engagement with' and prevent bore the shaft and the opposite .walls of said end portion adapted for insertion in said thereof to expand bore, and means to one end of 'said bore said split end of the shaft upon the insertlon the same into frictional binding en ent.with the walls v of the bore, and sai shaft end having means cooperating with said ex andin means an 'sadmember when the s aft en is ex ande to thereby lock the shaft axia moveadapted to coact with end for insertion in said borelatch secured l bore against axlal movement 1n one dircctlon -provided with mounted in fixed relation member. A

10.- In vcombination with a door latch provided with a rollback -having a shaft receivingl bore, an operating shaftv adapted to be inserted in said bore, detachable 'securing the shaft to ysaid rollmember secured in fxeclrelatin to the rollback and having a partr projecting radially into the bore atone end thereof, and said part of the locking member yieldable coacting with means on said shaft to'lock the shaft upon insertion of the llatter in said relative to the rollback.

.11. In combination With a door vlatch av rollback having a shaft an operating shaft adaptedreceivingv bore,

and Vmeans for lto be inserted in said bore, detachably securing the shaft including a locking rollback and rejecting radially into the bore at one end) and atl one sidethereof, and said member andthe yieldable co-acting-parts to lock' the sha t 1n said bore against axial movement in one direction relative to the rollback. l 12. In combination with a door latch' provided with a rollbackv havin receiving bore, an operating sha adapted to be inserted in said. bore, and means 'for detachably securingthe shaft to said roll back .including a locking member. having a fixed connection at one of itsends to the rollback, and-the other end of vsaid-l'nember extending inwardly at one side of said bore and adjacent to' one end of the rollback, and. said latter end of the locking member and the end of relatively-yieldable vco-acting means to lock the shaft m said bore against axial move-v I have signed ORTIMER Ament in. either directielid-relative. to said and means for back, ncludmg 'a non-rotatable locking I to said rollback, v member carried-by the shaft end havin the shaft vbeingfprovid'ed with j ment in one direction relative to the rollback. l In testimony that I claim the'foreg'oing as a0 my name hereto. Y 

